My high school angel
by impala4maggie
Summary: High school AU: Cas and Dean are different in every way. There is no reason that they should every interact. However, freewill exists for a reason. (Destiel)
1. Long black road

**Chapter 1 : Long black road**

It felt as if he was driving in circles. Castiel was lost. Not just existentially, but also geographically.

"Cassssie…we're gonna be late!" said Anna, scrunching up her nose. She was slouching in the passenger seat, practically scowling at him. It was clear that the 12 year old was not very pleased with her big brother.

"O, I hadn't noticed." He made sure to add extra sarcasm, for effect. "You can blame Naomi for making me you personal chauffeur."

He knew he shouldn't take out his frustration on Anna. It wasn't her fault that their step-mother bought him a car under false pretenses. He thought the vehicle was to celebrate his last year of high school. Boy was he wrong.

He should have been suspicious from the moment he received the brand new SUV. But Castiel knows nothing anything about cars, so he had no idea that it cost a small fortune. All he saw was a shiny ticket to freedom. Freedom, the one thing he so desperately craved.

It wasn't until this morning that he saw the gesture for what it was, a well thought out ploy.

Naomi had made sure that Anna was in the room when she hinted how nice it would be if Anna's big brother could take her to school. He was about to say no, when he noticed the puppy dog expression on his little sister's face as she curled one of her pigtails around her finger. He couldn't say no to her, that's what Naomi was bargaining on. Naomi hated being associated with the Novak children, despite once claiming that they were her "precious angels." (Castiel blames copious amounts of alcohol for that comment.)

In any case, that is how he ended up in this mess. Silently cursing himself for taking directions from a 12 year old. After what felt like hours, he swallowed his pride and phoned his step-monster, sorry step-mother, for advice.

"Yes, Naomi I did go left. What do you mean my left or your left? There is only ONE left side!"

He took a deep breath. After about 5 minutes, she gratuitously, as if, informed him that he had in fact taken several wrong turns.

Luckily, Anna's anger subsided once they reached the school. She proved this by giving Castiel a big hug.

"Hope you find the way to your school, Cassie." She said as she rushed towards her friends.

He sat there for a moment, mentally preparing himself for the place he was headed. High school: the place dreams go to die. "At least my day can't get any worse," he thought as he started the engine.

NA: I also posted this on AO3 (Archive of our own), impala4maggie


	2. Beautiful loser

**Chapter 2: Beautiful loser**

He entered the school gate and searched for a parking space. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful, he thought. This was a great idea, arriving just as school was about to start. It wasn't like any of his peers had cars. Okay, so maybe he should tone down the sarcasm and focus on the searching. Finding a parking space at Harvelle High was a bit like playing musical chairs without the music or the chairs.

Just when he was about to cut his losses and drive home, he saw an open space. As he started to enter the space, the bell rang.

The sound of the bell startled him; he turned his head towards the school. With this motion he accidently yanked the steering wheel to the left. He was jerked forward slightly when the front of the car hit something solid. He quickly slammed the breaks, bringing the car to a complete standstill.

Castiel's heart was pounding as he quickly realized what had happened. He had hit the black Impala next to him.

O crap, he thought, not Dean's baby. Believe it or not but he would have been better of if he had ran over an actual baby.

You see, Dean was the resident bad boy, default leader to all to the so called "popular" kids. He was good looking, charming and had a bad temper. Dean almost certainly wouldn't be please (to put it mildly) if he wasn't able to drive his vehicle during senior year.

Castiel had only two options now, immigrate or take out a good life insurance policy. He could either, flee or die.

It might sound as though he is over reacting, but he really isn't. Dean loved that car more than life itself. Castiel knew this as he once overheard Dean saying, "Had an awesome weekend, just me and my baby. We drove around listing to Zeppelin for most of the day. Best weekend of my life." Castiel wrongly assumed that he was referring to his girlfriend. Turns out he was describing his beloved Impala.

He took a deep breath, started the car and parked in the space, trying his best not to hit the Impala again. He did this because leaving the car in an awkward position would only attract unwanted attention, which would make things worse than they already were.

He stumbled out of the car, grabbing his backpack tightly. He closed the door with trembling hands. He carefully approached the Impala to inspect it for damages. He didn't care about his own car. He prayed that there were angels watching over him to protect him from Dean's wrath.

At first glance the car seemed fine, but Castiel wanted to make sure. So he bent down to inspect the side of the car. He sighed with relief when he realized the car didn't have any dents or scratches on it. He wasn't sure what this thing was made of. It didn't matter though; it could have been made out of Valyrian steel for all that he cared.

While staring at the car, he had this weird feeling that someone was watching him. He lifted his gaze towards the school's entrance, making eye contact with Dean.

Dean stared at him from a distance with a confused look on his face. Castiel quickly stood up, nearly falling in the process, Dean's gaze still fixed on him. In that moment Castiel had the urge to run away. But because he is an idiot, he waved at Dean, feeling the blush spreading across his face.

Dean smirked and strolled into the school.

Lovely, Castiel thought. Dean Winchester had laughed at him and probably assumed Castiel was a crazy stalker who wanted to touch something he owned.

He went to his car to assess the damage, spotting the small dent instantly.

Naomi is going to kill me by means of slow torture, he thought, as he walked towards his class.


	3. He ain't heavy he's my brother

**Chapter 3 : He ain't heavy he's my brother**

Luckily, Miss Barnes was late….as usual, so he didn't get into any trouble. Not that she would have done anything, but he hated drawing attention to himself. He is usually the first to arrive in class in attempt to avoid any human contact.

The rest of the morning went along without further incident; he dare say it was boring. Castiel was so use to being surrounded by chaos, that he didn't know how to function in a normal environment anymore.

The only note worthy moment happened just before English when he saw a lanky boy with shaggy hair being terrorized by a few jocks. Castiel doesn't know why he chose today to get involved, maybe it was the way the kid just stood there and took the beating.

He usually tries to stay neutral. (That's a nice way of saying that up to this point in his high school career, he was a coward, avoiding conflict by any means necessary.) Not that anyone could blame him, he was a gay nerd with a squeaky clean record, basically puppy chow for bullies. They seemed to leave him be as long as he just looked down when he saw them, a kind of white flag to indicate their dominances.

But not this year. Not today. As the kid was shoved to the ground, he ran towards him. Knowing he was signing his own death sentence.

"Hey, assbutt," Castiel shouted, his mouth and body working faster than his mind. Adrenal must have kicked in because even though he was terrified, he stepped in between the kid and the jock.

Everything froze, he felt himself being shoved up against a locker. He closed his eyes, in anticipation of being punched. However, the punch never came. Instead he felt warm breath in his ear. "This isn't over," the fowl voice whispered.

Once the bullies were gone, Castiel opened his eyes, turning back to the kid that was lying on the ground. As he moved closer to the kid, he heard a voice yelling.

"Sam," The voice yelled, it was Dean Wichester. He couldn't help but wonder what Dean wanted. Was he here to add to the kid's misery? Trying to ignore Dean, who was fast approaching them, he extended a hand to the kid, to Sam.

Before Sam could respond, Dean arrived looking angrier than usual, "Sammy, are you okay?" he asked. Castiel was surprised at how concerned Dean seemed to be.

"What are you doing here?" Castiel demanded, before thinking. Dean looked up, fury burning in his green eyes.

"What in the hell are YOU doing here? Did you cause this?" He gestured to Sam, who seemed to be content with sitting on the floor waiting for better days.

"He was just trying to help," Sam said calming, wiping blood from his mouth.

"I bet he was," Dean mumbled, as he tried to help Sam up. It took awhile but Sam finally accepts the hand Dean was offering.

Castiel was suddenly angry, his new found bravery (or more likely stupidity) compelled him to say something. "So if you're gay you automatically have an alter motive for helping someone, if that person happens to be male." Okay so maybe he was being overly sensitive.

Dean looked taken aback and shifted awkwardly, trying to regain the ability to speak. "Uhm…well…I...I didn't mean…you….you can just carry on," he looked desperate for Castiel to go away.

That's interesting, Catsiel thought. The mighty Dean Winchester getting flushed for being called out on his homophobia, not that Dean had every bullied him. For the most part Dean ignored Castiel completely.

Coming to his senses, Castiel began walking away from them.

"You can be a real jerk sometimes," he heard Sam say.

"Bitch," Dean countered.

"Wait, I'll walk with you," Sam shouted as he walked towards Castiel.

"Where's your next class?" Sam asked, sounding strangely upbeat, considering the circumstances.

"Uhm…English" Castiel said while trying to avoid eye contact with Sam. Castiel didn't have good "people skills."

"Thanks for trying to help. You stepped in, that's more than most people would have done. I'm Sam and the idiot back there is my brother Dean."

"You're… b…brother…but…" Castiel didn't know Dean had a brother and he suspected the jocks didn't know either as they wouldn't dare touch someone under Dean's protection, which Sam undoubtedly was.  
At least this explained their fasts exist. You see Dean was popular among the girls and among his gang, sorry his group of scary looking friends, because of his charm and wit. However, the jocks were another story; they left Dean alone out of fear and respect. (Castiel wasn't sure why the jocks were so scared of Dean but he had heard some rumors...none of them pleasant.)

"I know, I promise were related. He got the charm and good looks. I got the brains and the hair."

Cas stared silently not knowing what to make of the other Winchester.

Sam laughed awkwardly, "His words, not mine. In any case, if you ever need a friend, just come find me. You won't have a problem locating me, just look for Dean, I'll probably be in my general vicinity."

As they walked Castiel just let Sam (who must have had a free period or something as he didn't seem in any hurry to get to class) ramble on about how Dean's been following him around all day and how Sam suspected Dean was having separation anxiety.

"Uhm...this is my class so...it was nice meeting you Sam," Castiel said and he truly meant it.

"Wait, what's your name," Sam asked as Castiel was almost inside the class.  
"Novak, Castiel Novak." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Mortified he fled into the class. Why did he have to do his James Bond introduction?


	4. Shelter from the storm

**Hi, thanks for all the positive feedback. **

**Chapter 4: Shelter from the storm**

At lunch he sat alone. Most days he had only his imagination for company. Although he had hoped he would at least get to be around his friends today. Yes, surprisingly he had friends and not all of them were fictional, believe it or not.

Their names were Charlie and Kevin.

Castiel was a firm believer in quality over quantity. He knew hanging out with them would never score him a place at the popular table, but it didn't matter. He had the type of friends that would bail him out of jail at 1am, if he ever asked them to. That hasn't happened yet but it's nice to have a contingency plan.

He had real friends.

He was luckier than most, even luckier than Dean. Sure Dean was popular and thus constantly surrounded by people. But Castiel suspected that Dean's circle of friends were people that either wanted to get in his pants or improve their social status. He almost felt sorry for Dean, almost.

So what if his friends weren't here today, he knew they would be around in the future.

Charlie was apparently "sick." He doubted the validity of this statement as Charlie's illnesses usually correlated with the release dates of movies or obscure fan conventions. (According to Charlie this was pure coincidence.) This time he suspected her illness had to do with their bet.

He and Charlie had a bet going. The bet was to see, wait for it...who could read the most books during the school holidays. They lived life on the edge. "Real rebels without a clue," as his brother Gabriel once called them.

They each gave the other a reading list of 50 books. The person who read the most books won the bet and bragging rights. The loser would have to do the winner's homework for a month.

Kevin didn't want in on the bet as he needed time to perfect his college applications, even though the applications only opened in six months. Apparently this wasn't enough time for Kevin, as he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Anyway, back to the bet. Not surprisingly Charlie's list for him included: _Lord of the rings_, _The Hobbit, Harry Potter_ and for some reason, _The Notebook_. (He was ashamed to admit but he read that first.) He read 19 of her books. Even though he had enjoyed the books she chose, he preferred the classics, Vonnegut, Steinbeck, Salinger and such. His list for her included books like, _Cats' Cradle_ by Vonnegut, _Of Mice and Men_ by Steinbeck and his personal favorite, _The Catcher in the Rye_ by Salinger.

He knew she wouldn't get through half of his list since she didn't like "stories about the mundane." He had it on good authority (Kevin told him) that she had read about five of his books. Instead she spent her time re-reading the entire Harry Potter series. This was probably due to her crush on Hermione. (In contras, Castiel found himself attracted to Drago. Don't judge, he had a thing for complicated bad boys.)

In any case, he bet (no pun intended) that she was trying to buy herself more time because she hated losing.

He entered the cafeteria and headed to the only unoccupied table. As he took out his lunch he realized with dread that Dean was sitting at the table across from him. Dean wasn't surrounded by his usually entourage, instead he and his brother shared a table. Luckily, they didn't seem to notice him.

Castiel didn't mean to eavesdrop, it just sort of happened. So he sat back and took in the scene before him.

"I don't understand why you don't wanna sit with my posse. This is your first year of high school and you don't know how it works around here. We can offer you protection."

Sam rolled his eyes, "Protection? What is this, prison? I can take care of myself, Dean."

Dean sighed as he put his burger down, "Yes, I know you can but since you decided to go all _eat, pray, love_ this year I figured I would have to step in."

"You know for someone who doesn't like chick flick moments, you sure quote a lot of them," Sam said smirking.

"Shut up," Dean countered, unable to find a witty comeback.

Castiel was strangely envious of their rapport. He didn't have that type of relationship with his siblings. It seemed as though Sam and Dean truly were best friends. He was starting to see Dean in a completely different light. No longer was he the complicated womanizer, but rather an older brother, a protector. Part of Castiel wished he could spend time with _this _Dean.

Sam poked his salad with a plastic fork as if trying to determine it's edibility. "Dean, I'm touched by your concern but I'll be fine. You're not my keeper, besides I already made a friend."

"What…who?" Dean said confused.

Castiel froze as Sam motioned to him.

"Hey, Castiel," Sam said with a warm smile.

"Friend,huh?" Dean uttered. He probably thought Castiel wanted to take advantage of his little brother. Even though it couldn't be farther from the truth, he wasn't into jail bait. Dean was more his type. Not that he wanted or could ever date Dean.

"Why don't you join us?" Dean asked, interrupting Castiel thoughts.

His brain stopped working, "I…I… uhm…I don't…" He couldn't breathe or think as blood rushed to his cheeks.

"O, come on Cas, any friend of Sammy's is an acquaintance of mine," Dean said, grinning.

Castial stood motionless, not knowing what to think. This must be a dream, this couldn't…

Wait, did Dean Winchester just call him Cas?

"Ignore him, he thinks he's funny. Come join us, please," Sam said making a face that reminded him of Anna's puppy dog expression.

His body moved faster than his mind could process.

"Cas, I owe you an apology for being a jerk, forgive me?" Dean said sincerely.

Cas couldn't believe his ears. Either Dean had a stroke or he was actually a decent guy when separated from his ho's and bro's.

As Cas took a seat he nodded slightly, getting lost in the green abyss of Dean's eyes.


	5. To be the bad man, to be the sad man

Castiel sat beside Sam, he prayed for the bell to ring. All he had to do was avoid eye contact with Dean.

" So, where's the nerd herd today?" Dean asked, as Castiel tried to act normal.

Castiel frowned, "I…..I… Don't understand that reference."

Sam chuckled, "He meant why aren't you with your friends." Sam turned to Dean and said, "Dude, you should really update your frame of reference, maybe watch something made in this decade."

Dean looked appalled, "Heathen…that show…you know what never mind I'm not even going to... I will not argue with someone who still watches _All my children _reruns."

Castiel didn't understand any of what they were saying but the brotherly banter was fun to watch. He felt honored that he was allowed to see this side of Dean. He had a feeling that not many people received that privilege.

"At least I don't watch _Dr Se_…Ow, why did you kick me, Dean?" Sam shouted.

"I didn't," Dean said, as he struggled to hide the fact that his cheeks were turning red.

"So…uhm," Dean cleared his throat as he tried to compose himself, "What programs do you watch…or let me guess you don't own a TV."

He was obviously trying to change the topic by any means necessary, tough Castiel couldn't understand why.

"For your information, we own several and I watch _Game of thrones_ because it's 'epic.' You have no right to presume you know anything about my life."

He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. For some reason Castiel could not stop making a fool out of himself. Maybe Dean had that effect on people or maybe he just had that effect on Castiel.

Dean looked a bit shocked, "Relax man, I wasn't implying anything." Dean shifted awkwardly and gazed around the room as if he was looking for an exit. "There's Lisa," he sounded somewhat relieved as he motioned to the pretty brunette a few tables away. "Gotta go, you know how girls are…or Cas I suppose you don't know cause your…uhm I…I should go. Nice chatting, see you around."

Just like that he stood up and started walking towards his latest conquest, sorry girlfriend. When he was a few paces away, he regained his confidence and turned back slightly, "Sammy, don't forget, when the bell goes I'm walking with you to your next class," he said this louder than necessary, making it clear that Sam was not to be touched. It worked, as most of the teens glanced at them. Dean gave a smile and went on his way. Leaving Cas speechless.

Sam looked mortified by the sudden notoriety. "Probably couldn't wait until the assembly to make the announcement," he mumbled.

Castiel stared at Sam for a moment. "Dean means well," Castiel pronounce, without thinking. Castiel didn't know why he was taking sides, scratch that, he didn't understand why he was choosing Dean's side.

"That's part of the problem," Sam stated, frowning slightly. "He thinks his protecting me but he's the one afraid of being hurt."

Cas didn't really understand what Sam meant. All he knew was that he wouldn't mind having a brother or a friend like Dean. He might not even mind having Dean as a friend.


	6. Jokerman

Sam in his infinite wisdom decided that it was his responsibility to fix all Castiel's problems.

"In between periods I went to the parking lot and I saw..."

Cas' heart stopped and started beating faster at the same time. He wasn't sure that it was medically possible but that was what it felt like. He turned white as a sheet while waiting for Sam to say something about damages to the Impala.

"You ok man? I was just going to say that you should go see my uncle Bobby. He could fix the dent he is a mechanic/evil genius. He owns a scrap yard in town." Castiel was pretty sure that a scrap yard owner was not a reliable source for information on how to make a damaged car look better than new. Nevertheless, he decided to at least hear Sam out. It wasn't as though he could make the situation worse. "It's ok," Sam said trying to sooth Castiel's nerves. "If you say I sent you he'll give you a discount."

Castiel didn't know if he should take Sam up on his offer. He should stay away from Sam because with Sam's friendship comes Dean's scrutiny. However, desperate times called for desperate measures.

It took him a few days to make up his mind. A few awkward days. He managed to dodge Naomi's attention. He did this by leaving for school earlier. Anna was bribed by the prospect of having Castiel as her personal chef (don't ask) for a few weeks. At least she didn't ask for dolls. Castiel couldn't bear the thought of asking the sales assistant if the doll's dress comes in "a shade of blue that matches his eyes." (As specified by Anna.) Yea, he wasn't going through that again. (Please, don't ask.) However, going home was the tricky part. He dropped Anna off at the end of the street and proceeded to sit in an abounded parking lot, (nothing suspicious about that) until it was well past midnight.

He knew that he couldn't keep it up forever, either Naomi would see the damage or Anna would tell her or he would be arrested. (He wasn't sure if loitering in your car was a crime.)

Anyway, a week after Sam's suggestion he got up the courage to ask, demand if needed, for help in fixing his car.

Bobby seemed like an interesting person to say the least.

"Sam and his charity, the idjit," Bobby mumbled after Castiel explained the situation. "Fine, but I ain't fixing anthing. Go park her out back."

Castiel had a confused look on his face. He wasn't entirely sure what Bobby was talking about but he was afraid he would be yelled at if he asked. If Bobby wasn't fixing it then who was? And who was the "she" Bobby referred to.

"He means the car." A gruff voice said. "Don't worry Cas, I'll take good care of her." With a shocked expression, Castiel turned and saw Dean, wearing overalls, leaning against the door frame. He gave a smirk as he moved towards Castiel.


	7. Jumpin' the gun

**hi thanks for all the positive feedback. (disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural)**

Castiel was fairly certain that he blacked out when Dean stood in front of him and asked for his keys. The next thing he knew he was standing beside Dean's Impala hearing him speak but not listing to what Dean was saying. He knew some time had passed as it was getting dark outside.

Dean motioned to the car and Castiel assumed he should get in as he was 75% sure that Dean had offered him a lift as he thought he heared Dean say something about his car only being fixed in a week's time.

Castiel quickly got into the car as to avoid any further conversation (even one sided conversation). Dean looked slightly confused but composed himself and got in as well.

"Uhm, okay Cas, where do you want to go from here?" Dean asked as he put the key in the ignition and turned to Castiel.

Cas was taken by surprise, not sure if he understood the question correctly. Dean was straight, why was he questioning the nature of their relationship. "I…but...you have a girlfriend."

Dean looked puzzled but decided to answer anyway. "Uhm...I…no…sort of why do you ask?"

Castiel was mortified. His cheeks turned red as he slowly realize that Dean was actually asking where he should drop him off. As if Dean could sense (or in this case see) Castiel's embarrassment he started the car and just drove for a while, neither of them saying anything.

Dean was the one to break the silence. "You can relax dude, I'm not angry that you hit my car," he said softly.

What? Castiel felt the heat rise in his cheeks again. "I ...Yo...you didn't say anything…the…it…I'm so sorry," he said almost coherently.

"Don't worry about it, no harm done. Luckily, there is no scratches. If there were you wouldn't be sitting here right now," Dean said with a grin. Castiel chose to accept his statement as a joke and not as a weird death treat, which it undoubtedly was.

"Why are you being so nice to me? You've punched people for less."

Dean glanced towards Castiel, "Sammy likes you, he's a good judge in character," he kept quiet. "That's why he doesn't like me sometimes," he mumbled.

"I don't know. I just think you're one of the good ones," Dean said before stopping the car.

Castiel heart was racing, why had Dean stopped the car and why was he giving strange complements. He looked out of the car window to see if Dean had driven them someplace where no one would hear his screams. (Castiel was still not convinced that Dean had been sincere about his feelings regarding the car incident, a part of him was trying to recall which prayer to recite when you were about to be murdered by a cute boy.)

"Goodnight, Cas," Dean said with a small smile as Castiel realized they were in front of his house, but that doesn't make sense…

"How do you know where I live?" Castiel asked slightly concerned for his own sanity as he was fairly certain he never gave Dean his address.

"My gi…Lisa lives near you. I've seen you around."

Castiel's mouth opened as he tried to speak but momentarily forgot how to. Dean, Dean Winchester saw him?

"Should I pick you up tomorrow morning?" Dean asked, his green eyes staring into Castiel's soul.

"I…I…Anna" he composed himself, "thank you but I have to walk to school with Anna; she'll never forgive me if I don't."

"I thought you weren't into girls?" Dean said with a serious look on his face.

"Of course I'm not, why do you say…o…no, Anna's my little sister…as in female, under aged, blood relative. I love my family but not that much," he was rambling, awesome, no way Dean would think he's a weirdo.

"How old is she?" Dean asked as he repositioned himself in his seat.

"12 years old, she calls me her guardian angel," Castiel said the last part by accident, he wasn't used to normal human interaction. Not that this car ride could be seen as normal.

"I look forward to meeting her someday, see you at school angel," Dean said grinning. Castiel could have sworn he saw Dean wink at him before he drove away.

Castiel stood there for nearly 20 minutes trying to figure out if he was dreaming, having a stroke or just having a weird year.

For the first time in a long time he couldn't wait to go to school.


	8. Imagine

The morning after "the drive by" (as Castiel was calling it) he walked to school with Anna and tried to decide if he should tell his friends about the Dean situation or just change schools. In the end he decided to tell them.

However, it took awhile (most of the day and a lot of hiding from Dean) for him to get up the courage to tell them as he knew Charlie would tease him until…well until he did something else that she could obsess about.

Just before the last period he walked towards his locker and saw Charlie and Kevin waiting for him. He decided to swallow his pride (not that he had any left) and tell them.

He gave them the Cliff notes version and left out any unnecessary detail that might add to his humiliation.

"Dean Winchester, the Dean?" Charlie asked, giving Cas a look that showed she was both surprised and impressed by these new developments.

"The Dean? Of which university… it doesn't matter. How was he? Did you mention me?" Kevin asked looking up from his book, as he was apparently scanning their conversation in hopes of responding to comments he thought applied to him.

"Chill nerd, we're talking about Cas's new boy toy. Did you remember to take your meds today?"

"Their supplements and yes," Kevin replied with a straight face.

Castiel smiled, Charlie however took this opportunity to interrogate poor Kevin.

Castiel's love life (that came out wrong, he meant life) was forgotten for the moment.

"What are you even studying? School just started," she pronounced as she grabbed the book out of Kevin's hands, his protest was futile.

She looked at the title and smirked. "How to study while sleeping: a guide to maximizing your learning." She read in a weird accent that sounded surprisingly Southern.

"You have got to be kidding me," she said laughing. "You are studying a book about studying and some people thought you were faking the crazy," she turned to Castiel. "I was right, pay up," she said while holding out he hand, he assumed for money.

"We didn't bet on that but while we're on the subject," Castiel smiled slightly.

"That's old news let's talk about new news…you and dreamy Dean."

Castiel blushed slightly as the image of Dean popped in his head. "I thought you only liked females," he said trying to steer the conversation away from Dean.

However, Charlie wasn't going to let him of so easily. "It's true I like the ladies, doesn't mean I am blind."

"There is no me and drea…Dean," he said, feeling his cheeks turning crimson.

"Dean and Casitel," Charlie said in a sing song fashion. Suddenly her expression changed, showing that she had an epiphany, "Destiel!" Charlie practically screamed.

Castiel's cheeks were on fire, he wasn't completely sure what Charlie was implying but he knew it was something embarrassing.

"Don't you want to say that a bit louder I don't think Dean heard you," he mumbled.

"What didn't I hear," a voice said from behind him. Castiel turned to see Dean leaning against Castiel's locker. Charlie's mouth fell open; Kevin continued reading and Castiel prayed for death.


	9. If you see her say hello

_**Hi, hope you all are well.**_  
_**Thanks for all the feedback and support. It really means a lot.**_  
_**I advise rereading Chapter 8's ending.**_  
_**I will try and update each week as I now have a better idea were the story is headed.**_

**Ch9: If you see her say hello**

Kevin, bless his heart, instantly tried to help, but as usually he made things worst.

"That he has an unhealthy attachment to a trench coat, once Charlie dared him to wear not...Ow!" Kevin yelped as Charlie stepped on his foot.

Dean seemed confused, amused and then awkward all in a span of 30 seconds.  
"Don't worry, I have an unhealthy attachment to my car," he said as he tried to make the situation less awkward.

"And to your brother," Charlie murmured jokingly. A comment Dean either didn't hear or ignored. Castiel gave Charlie a look to signal that he heard her comment and was going to get her back for it.

"Well uhm...I just wanted to know if you wanted a lift home," Dean asked as if it was a completely normal request, like he and Castiel were friends or something. Castiel didn't want to think about the "or something."

"O I...Char...Charlie has a car." At least the sentence was coherent. The conversation was going better than some of his other encounters with cute boys. Which should give an indication how socially inept Castiel really was.

"No," Charlie answered, "I forgot to tell you I'm not going home after school...I'm joining...joining the…" She turned to Kevin and whispered, "What type of clubs does this school have?"

"I have debate after school," Kevin pronounced to them all.

"Lovely, debate it is," although her facial expression indicated that the idea wasn't "lovely" at all. Castiel would have laughed if he wasn't so nervous.

Dean looked rather pleased with this new development. "That's great you can ride shotgun, Sammy is also busy after school. Apparently he has chess club and doesn't need a ride. A bit strange considering he hates chess and I am pretty sure that the school doesn't have a chess club."

"It doesn't," Kevin mumbled and Charlie nudged him with her elbow, signaling he should keep quiet.  
"There is, nobody told you in case you decide to take part in yet another activity."  
Kevin, looking a bit heartbroken, seemed to consider Charlie's words for a moment and then accepted it as the truth.

"Uhm, so let's go Cas," Dean said, as if he was planning on skipping last period.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet," he said as he saw Charlie scowling at him.

Dean looked a bit disappointed but seemed determined to convince Castiel to take the lift. "I ain't gonna force you, but it'll be nice to have some company, baby isn't good at making conversation."

Castiel was fairly certain that Dean probably did have conversations with his car but he wasn't about to point that out.

"Okay, but only for your sanity." Castiel was proud of himself for the witty comeback. However, he was not so proud of his attempt at a wink that accompanied the comment.

"Okay, well you two crazy kids have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do but if you do, take photos," she said with a grin. With that she was off, dragging poor Kevin with her.


	10. A good heart

**Chapter 10**

**A good heart**

Castiel agreed to take the lift because he couldn't think of any other excuses. Noami was picking up Anna from school as they were going to "have some girl time." Although it took some convincing before Anna accepted that Castiel couldn't join them as he was not a girl and shopping for little girl clothes might look a bit suspicious.

After last period Castiel briefly considered locking himself in a bathroom stall. However, as his mind was trying to construct an escape plan, the rest of his body had other ideas. Before Castiel could think twice his legs had carried him towards Dean's car. He might have still tried to get away if Dean wasn't leaning against the Impala looking almost relieved when he saw Castiel.

"There you are, I was just about to call you." Dean said as he placed his phone back into his leather jacket. Even though the jacket was a size to big for him, it gave Dean a certain bad boy authority that sent a strange chill through Castiel. (The feeling was not completely unwelcomed.) He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed the implication of Dean's words.

"C…Call? But you don't have my number," Castiel said as he absentmindedly reached in his pocket to retrieve his phone. He was about to look through his phone to see if he didn't in fact have Dean's number as he had been questioning his sanity for a while now. Luckily Dean interrupted his moment of insanity.

"Uhm, I got it from Charlie," Dean said as he opened the passenger door and walked around the car. "While I was waiting for you she came by to make sure I could get in touch with you in case you forgot to meet me. She said you were a bit forgetful."

Of course she did, Castiel thought climbed in the passenger seat. As Dean started the car Castiel's heart started to beat faster and he was trying to think of something "cool" to say, which might be an indication that he would say the wrong thing.

"So…uhm…sorry I was late." No response so Castiel went on. "Do you have to work today?"

Dean smirked, "No why?"

"I…just asking…no reason?"

"I like it when you blush" Dean said so softly that Castiel almost missed it.

"What?" Castiel said with wide eyes.

"I said are you busy much?" Sure he did, Castiel thought.

"No not today, why?"

"Good, Charlie said so but I just wanted to check." Dean had a devilish grin on his face that made Castiel suspicious.

"Of course she did, what else did she do, give you my diary?" Unfortunately Castiel didn't realize he spoke out loud before it was too late. All he could hear was Dean's laughter.

"Nah, she said I should ask you to read it to me."

Castiel blushed again.

"I'm kidding, but you have a diary?" Castiel was about to deny it "That's cool man. Don't be too hard on your friends. I like Charlie she kind of reminds me of Sammy. You know cause he also acts like a teenage girl sometimes."

Castiel smiled, Dean was a nice guy but Castiel couldn't understand why, all of a sudden Dean wanted to be his BFF.

"I see why you sister calls you angel, you should smile more." Dean said softly.

"I don't have much reason to lately," Castiel said, accidentally letting his guard down.

"Sorry to hear that, listen…I hope you don't mind but I kind of made plans for today," Dean said while shifting in his seat.

"That's fine you can just drop me of anywhere, like I said I like walking." Truth be told Castiel was somewhat relieved, he wasn't use to this much human interaction in one day.

"No man, I mean I planned for us to hang out today."

"What?" Castiel couldn't believe what he just heard.

"If you and Sammy are going to be friends, I think we should also be friends."

"So this is a test?" Castiel asked, still slightly in shock.

"I didn't think of it like that but yeah I guess. You want to hang out at my house or yours? As you might know my dad is out of town on work. He only checks in like once a month." Castiel wasn't sure why this information was relevant. It wasn't like they were going to do something that needed privacy, where they?

"Maybe my house if you don't mind, my step mom and sister will only be home late and beside she won't mind. She's always on me to make more friends." Castiel decided that going to his house would be the best

"Okay your house it is." Dean grinned, as if he had planned this all along.


	11. The door is still open to my heart

**Hi guys, hope you are well. Thank you for all the positive feedback.**  
**Warning: This chapter is a bit different than the others as it contains a poem ( I tried my best to write a poem that would fit Cas's story) and it also contains crying. The next chapter will be happier, I promise. Please excuse any mistakes.**

**Chapter 11: The door is still open to my heart**

They drove in silence until Dean turned on the radio and "don't fear the reaper" started playing. Despite finding the song choice a bit ironic Castiel was grateful for the few minutes to think. This gave him time to yet again reflect on his poor life decisions. Inviting Dean Winchester to his house was one of the worst decisions he has ever made, though not as bad as the time he agreed to babysit his sister and her friends (it took Castiel hours to remove the makeup they put on him). Maybe Castiel's judgment was improving slightly.

They stopped in front of the house. Castiel was thinking of ways to avoid going in, such as burning the house down, fainting or simply telling Dean that he did not recognize the house. Upon accepting the inevitable, he unlocked the front door and invited Dean to come in.

They sat on his bed and talked for what felt like hours. They talked about school, about siblings and about life in general. Something about Dean made him easy to talk to. So much so that Castiel accidentally mentioned that he sometimes writes poetry. A fact that not even Charlie knows.

"That's awesome. That's one of the reasons I listen to classic rock, the songs are like poetry set to music. I'd love to read one of your poems," Dean said.

Castiel stood up and looked trough his top draw until he found a crumbled up piece of paper and handed it to Dean. Dean read the poem with concentration and mouthed the words as he read.

_The honey bee and me_

_I once saw a honey bee in all its grace_

_He flew the route of flowers at a great pace _

_I once saw a honey bee in all its grace_

_Seeing him put a smile upon my face _

_I once saw a cat, in all his grace _

_Of he went on his way, offering me only a gaze _

_I once saw a cat, a rare species at that _

_he kept his promise to come back _

_I once saw a man in all his grace _

_choosing to leave his house without a trace _

_Leaving only bitterness in his place_

_Now I see the only flaw in God's plan, _

_the willingness to give freewill to man._

After reading the poem, Dean looked up at the ceiling. Castiel was very nervous to hear what Dean though.

After a moment he spoke "Wow,I don't ..."

"It's okay if you think it's weird," Castiel said slightly heartbroken. "No it's just, it's sad man. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Castiel shifted uncomfortably. "How do you...go through what?"

"Through what ever made you feel so hopeless and worthless."

Castiel took a deep breath. "I think you misunderstood, it is not meant to be taken literal, it..." "Don't, I know I'm not as smart as you or Sammy but I know a thing or two about pain and loss, so if you ever wanna talk."

Castiel stood up and walked towards the window. "My dad, he…he died about 10 months ago." He wasn't planning on telling Dean but it felt like the right time.

"I didn't…I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why should I have? If I don't tell people then I can pretend it isn't real. That he is still on a business trip, that he will come home eventually."

"How did he die?" Dean asked softly.

"He died of lung cancer. You have got to love the irony; he drank like a fish and never smoked." Castiel tried to laugh but it came out as just a noise.

He closed his eyes willing himself to be invisible, free from the world, when all of a sudden he felt arms around him. Dean was embracing him, stroking his hair, the way his dad use to do when he had a bad dream. Castiel had started crying.

"Shhh its okay, it's okay buddy. It'll be okay I promise." Dean said softly.

There was nothing sexual about the hug on the contrary it seemed as if Dean knew exactly what to do, Cas suspected that this was probably how Dean comforted Sam when he was younger. But because Cas is a sucker for punishment he did the one thing that was sure to ruin the moment, he tried to kiss Dean. Before their lips could meet, Dean gently pushed him away.

"I…I have to go. I just…I" and with that he left, leaving Castiel to cry alone.


	12. Blue eyes crying in the rain

**Hi. I am finally finishing this story. There will be two more chapters. Thanks for reading. **

**Chapter 12: Blue eyes crying in the rain**

Not a day went by without Cas regretting what happened. It had been nearly twee weeks since the near kiss. Life seemed to go back to normal. Normal as in no interaction with Dean, the way it has always been. It was as if Dean was going out of his way to avoid him.

Cas knew this wasn't true but it was better than accepting the alternative, that Cas was in fact hiding from Dean. He picked up his car from Bobby when he knew Dean wasn't there. He had ignored Dean's calls and he made Sam promise not to interfere.

"I know you said you didn't want to talk about it but I have to know what happened." Sam asked at lunch.

Cas shifted in his seat. "So Dean hasn't said anything either?"

"According to him his fine but he's grumpier than usual. When we drive home he listens to _Blue eyes crying in the rain _and _Behind blue eyes _on a loop. He is driving me crazy. Bobby says if he doesn't stop acting like a 'heartbroken idjit' he's going to fire him."

"No, he shouldn't get fired for my mistake." Wasn't it Cas who should be heartbroken? After all it was he who had feelings for Dean, not the other way around.

"So something did happen." Sam didn't seem surprise.

Cas took a deep breath and decided to tell the truth. "I tried to kiss him and he pushed me away. I've been avoiding him ever since."

Again, Sam did not look surprised. "I see, well just talk to him."

"I'm sure he doesn't want to talk to me."

Sam suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "Uhm…I…. haven't you listened to his voicemails?"

"What?" Cas felt his cheeked heat up. Of course he listened (multiple times) to Dean's rambling voicemails. He was pretty sure Dean had just drunk dialed him. To be honest the majority of the messages was in coherent, but he still didn't want Sam to know what Dean had said.

"The walls are thin, I heard it all. And before you ask, yes I also heard the part where he tried to sing _Stairway to Heaven._ Just please talk to the idiot. He isn't use to dealing with his feelings. I think it has a lot to do with our dad. Anyway, my point is, he is actually a nice guy. Just give him an opportunity to explain."

Sam stood up. "I'm hanging out with Charlie and Kevin after school so Dean will be all alone after school. Just something to think about."

The day drag on and eventually Cas had the courage to text Dean. He had to face this head on.

_'__Dean, if you still want to talk wait for me after school.' _ His heart started to beating faster as he sent the message.


	13. Only fools go where angels fear to tread

**Chapter 13**

**Only fools go where angels fear to tread**

Cas and Dean sat in silence. Cas focused on the dashboard in an effort to avoid eye contact.

"Listen Cas about the other day…"

"Wait Dean, I think I should go first," Cas said as he tried to avoid Dean's gaze.

"I'm sorry for making things awkward between us. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just caught up in the moment. I listened to your messages and I also want to be friends."

"Friends?" Dean looked confused.

"Uhm…y…yes in one of the voicemails you said you wanted us to be like Bert and Ernie from that TV show. They seem like good friends that's why I assumed.''

"Uhm…their gay. That's not the point. Let's just sort a few things out so that we're on the same page. First of all, sorry for going all_ Fatal Attraction _on you with all those messages. I was just a bit freaked out. I mean people flirt with me all the time but... I am not use to someone I have feelings for making the first move."

"F…feelings…but…you… s..straight"

"I never said that. I'm just a person who likes people." Dean said with a slight smile as he seemed to be gaining his confidence. "So there is no confusion let me say it clearly, I like you Cas."

Cas sat frozen feeling how his soul left his body and then returned. Dean reached in his jacket pocket and took out what looked like a necklace.

"So you might have notice I always wear an amulet. Sammy's says it's cause I'm superstitious but I think I'm just sentimental. Anyway, I wanted to get you one that suited you. It's meant to protect you from harm." Dean handed the amulet to a still shocked  
Cas. It was an angel wing made from silver and contained an amber colored stone.

"Only one wing so that I won't fly away," Cas said without thinking not sure what to make of this gift. According to Sam, Dean wasn't into chick flick moments so there might not be a hidden meaning to this gift.

"It reminds me of a fallen angel, kind of like how I see you." Dean said softly.

Cas wasn't sure how to respond. This was either very romantic or very insulting he wasn't sure yet.

"I...I don't mean it like that is just..."

"Just what Dean?" Cas said still staring at the amulet.

"All the way through high school I saw you as some kind of angel. You know not fitting in with people cause you were better than them. But when I got to know you I realized you aren't this cold statue. You're honest, kind and loyal. Like a fallen angel, beautiful but flawed. Sorry, I'm not making a lot of sense."

Cas was speechless. That was probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to him.

"Besides you must be a fallen angel cause I'm falling for you," Dean said with a devilish grin and a wink.

Cas laughed out loud, "Please tell me this isn't your best pick-up line."

"It's not, I don't need pick-up lines. But it happens to be true."

Cas frowned slightly.

"I am falling for you." Dean said before he leaned in and lightly pressed his lips against Cas'. Cas didn't move he didn't know what to do, this was his first real kiss. His actual first kiss was with Charlie after an unfortunate game of 'truth or dare'. This felt nothing like that kiss. His heart was beating faster, Dean pulled back slightly to scan Cas' face to see if he was truly hesitant.

Castiel desperately wanted to tell Dean to kiss him again but he forgot the words. He just stared into Dean's beautiful green eyes, hoping his desire would shine through.

After a moment of silence, Dean slowly moved to kiss Cas again, this kiss was more passionate than the first. Cas ran his fingers through Dean's hair as an attempt to be closer to him.

"I take it you like the amulet," Dean said trying to fix his hair.

"I love it and I..." Think I'm in love with you he wanted to say, but he didn't want to push his luck.


End file.
